Chapter Summaries

Ling Yunpo fought Lou Zhizheng in a duel on Shu Mountain, using Qingping Sword’s restriction and lightning magic to overcome Lou’s traps and defenses. He left Lou dead on the dueling ground as the fog cleared.

• The overseeing elder began the duel while secretly hoping Ling Yunpo would be badly injured or killed.
• Lou Zhizheng attacked Ling Yunpo with talismans and trapped him in a Quicksand Net.
• Ling Yunpo activated Qingping Sword’s Green Mist Shrouding the Blue Peaks restriction, filling the arena with fog and weakening non-Water-element spells.
• Lou Zhizheng raised a Golden Light Shield, but Ling Yunpo circled behind him and pierced the shield with Jade Pivot Divine Thunder.
• The fog dispersed to reveal Lou Zhizheng dead, while Ling Yunpo retrieved his immaculate Thunderstrike Sword.

Ling Yunpo won the match against Lou Zhizheng, and An Zhisu vowed to protect him and Green Snail Peak’s Daoist lineage. Meanwhile, Luo Yan agreed to help Shi Liuli find the Li Palace, setting up their next adventure.

• The supervising elder declared Ling Yunpo the winner and ruled that no one would be held accountable because Lou Zhizheng had initiated the challenge.
• An Zhisu congratulated Ling Yunpo, returned with him to Green Snail Peak, and promised her master that she would protect him and preserve the peak’s Daoist lineage.
• Shi Liuli told Luo Yan that she had learned the Li Palace was about to open after pressing her fellow disciples for a shortcut to the Marrow Cleansing Stage.
• Luo Yan reasoned that the Li Palace was likely associated with the Li trigram and agreed to help Shi Liuli find it.

Luo Yan searched the Daozang Pavilion for information about the Imperial Palace, then used the Kunlun Mirror to ask Xu Changqing about it. Xu Changqing explained that the Imperial Palace Secret Realm could help Foundation Establishment disciples advance their cultivation, and said it might open soon.

• Luo Yan and Shi Liuli found only a cryptic reference to the Imperial Palace in the Daozang Pavilion and speculated about why their seniors would not discuss it.
• Luo Yan tricked Shi Liuli into letting him enter a quiet room, then loaded the Kunlun save and took on Qiu Changtian's identity.
• Qiu Changtian visited Xu Changqing and asked him about the Imperial Palace.
• Xu Changqing explained that the ancient Chan Sect built the Imperial Palace Secret Realm as a trial ground where Foundation Establishment disciples could gain treasures and advance by one cultivation realm.
• Xu Changqing said the sect expected the Imperial Palace to open soon and had kept its purpose quiet to prevent disciples from becoming lax; Qiu Changtian promised not to tell anyone, including Xu Yinglian.

Luo Yan explained why cultivators spent extra time in the Abode Transformation Stage, then crafted a Quicksand Net cauldron artifact. Shi Liuli returned with confirmation that the Li Palace existed and asked Luo Yan to uncover its trials and opening date, leaving him wondering whether her charm made people lose their wits.

• Luo Yan explained to Shi Liuli that a secret realm might let cultivators advance past earlier stages and spend longer refining their foundations for a better golden core.
• Shi Liuli accepted Luo Yan's theory and left to question Eldest Senior Brother, while Luo Yan returned to his cauldron-making assignment.
• Luo Yan completed a Quicksand Net cauldron artifact and considered making more for Qiu Changtian and Ling Yunpo.
• Shi Liuli returned and told Luo Yan that Eldest Senior Brother had confirmed the Li Palace existed, then asked him to investigate its trials and how to pass them.
• Shi Liuli asked when the Li Palace would open and pleaded for Luo Yan's help, prompting him to wonder whether her innocent charm made people less intelligent.

Qiu Changtian lectured his fellow disciples and learned that his reputation had earned him a crowd of admirers, who wanted to know whether he and Xu Yinglian were Dao Companions. He promised to reject them himself, while Xu Yinglian bristled at the thought of rivals and Qiu Changtian reaffirmed his commitment to her.

• Qiu Changtian gave his junior brothers and sisters a morning lecture and invited them to ask questions.
• Chen Zhen asked whether Qiu Changtian and Xu Yinglian were Dao Companions, and Xu Yinglian answered that they were only engaged.
• Jian Qingnan and Zhong Tianhuai told Qiu Changtian that his looks, status, strength, and public kindness had made him popular among Kunlun disciples.
• Yan Zhitui praised Qiu Changtian's words about fellow disciples helping one another, while Jian Qingnan explained that female disciples hoped to learn whether Xu Yinglian had claimed him.
• Qiu Changtian said he would reject his admirers himself, and Xu Yinglian insisted he should not send Jian Qingnan to speak for him.
• Qiu Changtian agreed to handle the matter and resolved not to pursue anyone else after agreeing to become Dao Companions with Xu Yinglian.

Qiu Changtian rescued Penglai disciples trapped in an ancient cave-heaven by identifying and dismantling the formations sustaining the vines. After the formation broke, the Kunlun Mirror recorded a synchronization increase.

• Qiu Changtian accepted a Deacon Hall assignment to rescue Penglai disciples trapped in the Qinling Mountains and flew there with Bilian.
• Qiu Changtian identified the vines as part of an Yi Wood Dragon Binding Formation and explained that an Abode Transformation Stage cultivator had set it up incompetently.
• Qiu Changtian destroyed the Gui Water Moistening Formation at a pool with Jade Pivot Divine Thunder.
• Qiu Changtian split open a disguised rock with Yuyan Sword and retrieved the cauldron hidden beneath it, breaking the Ji Earth Bearing Formation.
• Qiu Changtian told the trapped disciples to chop down a potted iron tree, causing the vines to wither and free them.
• Bilian admired Qiu Changtian, and the Kunlun Mirror recorded Invincible Persona, Synchronization +1.

Qiu Changtian introduced Bilian to Xu Yinglian, whose jealousy sharpened when Bilian flirted with him and Kunlun disciples crowded around him. As Qiu Changtian and Xu Yinglian left together, she warned him to guard his primordial yang so he would not slow his cultivation and lose to her.

• Bilian questioned Qiu Changtian about his cultivation and Dao Companion, then suggested she would welcome him in bed if he visited the Eastern Sea.
• Xu Yinglian met Bilian outside Kunlun's Deacon Hall and coldly invited her to join a swordsmanship practice, which Bilian declined.
• Bilian departed after trading hostile looks with Xu Yinglian, and Qiu Changtian began explaining how they had met.
• Kunlun disciples surrounded Qiu Changtian with greetings and teasing questions, while Xu Yinglian watched with murderous jealousy.
• Qiu Changtian teased Xu Yinglian about being jealous and admired, and she warned him that losing his primordial yang would slow his cultivation and let her beat him.

Ziwei Sect Master brought Qiu Changtian and Xu Yinglian to Penglai for a meeting between Kunlun and Yuqing Temple. At the welcoming banquet, Shi Liuli admired Qiu Changtian for rescuing Yuqing disciples, while Xu Yinglian bristled at Shi Liuli’s attention and traded barbed remarks with her.

• Ziwei Sect Master ordered Qiu Changtian and Xu Yinglian to accompany him to Penglai and meet Yuqing Temple’s elite disciples.
• The Kunlun delegation traveled by treasure ship to Penglai Island, where the Yuqing Temple master and elders welcomed them.
• At the banquet, Shi Liuli praised Qiu Changtian for breaking the Yi Wood Dragon Binding Formation and rescuing Yuqing disciples.
• Qiu Changtian modestly deflected Shi Liuli’s admiration and introduced Xu Yinglian to change the subject.
• Xu Yinglian called Shi Liuli Elder Shi Ding’s beloved daughter, and Shi Liuli recognized the remark as a slight.

After the banquet, Qiu Changtian played music with Xu Yinglian and then switched to Luo Yan to find out whether Shi Liuli had noticed his deception. As Luo Yan, he overheard Shi Liuli and the Yuqing Temple girls spreading outrageous stories about Qiu Changtian, and Shi Liuli insisted they were all true.

• Qiu Changtian avoided meeting Luo Yan and found Xu Yinglian playing the Phoenix Tail Zither beneath a winter plum.
• Xu Yinglian challenged Qiu Changtian about looking for Shi Liuli, but he eased her anger by criticizing Shi Liuli’s habit of making enemies.
• Qiu Changtian and Xu Yinglian performed a zither-and-flute duet before he returned to his room.
• Qiu Changtian used the Kunlun Mirror to load Luo Yan and check whether Shi Liuli had noticed anything amiss.
• Luo Yan overheard Shi Liuli and the girls praising Qiu Changtian with exaggerated tales of his exploits and the supposed value of his hair.
• After the girls questioned the rumors, Shi Liuli declared that they were all true.

Luo Yan listened as Shi Liuli and her fellow disciples admired a biography of Qiu Changtian, then reflected on his complicated feelings about being his own fan’s object of affection. After Shi Liuli invited him to join the Changtian Society, Luo Yan considered joining to keep the group from causing trouble.

• Shi Liuli showed the Yuqing Temple disciples a biography of Qiu Changtian, and Luo Yan listened outside as they praised him.
• Luo Yan decided that Shi Liuli’s admiration for Qiu Changtian was idol worship and that he had no romantic feelings for her.
• Luo Yan studied his assignments and waited for the Kunlun delegation to arrive at Yuqing Temple.
• After the welcoming banquet, Shi Liuli complained to Luo Yan about Xu Yinglian, and he agreed with her to earn synchronization points.
• Shi Liuli invited Luo Yan to join the Changtian Society, and he considered joining to prevent the group from causing trouble.